Owed money — and polite
reminders have stopped working?

If the points below describe your situation, this is where we can help.

• Someone owes you money and won't pay A client sitting on your invoice, a customer who took the work and vanished, a loan to a friend or family member gone quiet, a landlord, trader, or ex-flatmate holding money that's yours.
• You've asked — more than once Reminders sent, calls made, promises collected. The pattern is clear: they're hoping you'll give up, or assuming you won't do anything formal about it.
• You want to show you're serious — without burning the relationship or hiring a solicitor A Letter Before Action isn't aggressive; it's formal. It tells the other side precisely what happens next and gives them a clean way to pay before court enters the picture. Many do.
• The letter isn't optional anyway Courts expect parties to follow pre-action rules before claiming — setting out the claim in writing, giving reasonable time to respond, and sharing key documents. Skip it and a court can penalise you even if you win. The letter is step one of the court route, whether or not it ends there.
• The amount justifies doing this properly A few hundred to several thousand pounds — small claims territory, designed for people without lawyers. Interest can usually be added on top: 8% statutory interest, or more for unpaid business-to-business invoices under the late payment rules.

Depending on who owes you, there may be a free route that gets your money back without a letter or a claim. Worth five minutes before paying anyone.

Every pack is built around your specific dispute — who owes what, on what basis, and what the paper trail shows. Here's what's in a typical pack.

• Letter Before Action The formal pre-claim letter, drafted to comply with the pre-action rules that apply to your dispute — the basis of the claim, the amount with interest calculated, the documents that prove it, the deadline, and what happens if it passes. Where you're claiming against an individual or sole trader for a debt, the rules require specific contents and response time — we build the letter to match.
• Interest & Costs Calculation A clear schedule of what's owed: the principal, statutory interest at 8% (or late-payment interest and compensation for business invoices), and where it all comes from. Attached to the letter, ready to drop into a claim.
• Particulars of Claim The formal court claim, drafted and ready to file the day the deadline passes — via Form N1 or Money Claim Online. Having it ready isn't just speed: it means the letter's deadline is real, and the other side can usually tell.
• Witness Statement Your signed, structured account of the agreement and what's happened since — ready to sign with a Statement of Truth if the claim proceeds.
• Chronology & Exhibit Index A dated timeline of the agreement, the work or loan, and every chase — plus every piece of evidence numbered and described: the contract or messages that made the deal, the invoice, the delivery, the promises to pay.
• Evidence Gap note What's missing and how to get it before filing — the written terms you never quite put in one place, proof of delivery, or the bank statements showing the loan leaving your account.
• Document Usage Guide A plain-English explanation of each document — what it does, when to send or file it, what to expect next. So you know what every piece of paper is for.

Each form below links directly to the official GOV.UK page. These descriptions explain what each form is for — not whether you should file it. If you are unsure which step to take next, seek independent advice.

Online portals — submit or respond directly:

These organisations and websites may provide useful guidance on recovering money owed. DocketWorks does not endorse any external site — these links are for information only.